


The Twilight Troubles of Tommy Innit

by ItsCutterKirby



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Emotional Manipulation, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Nightmares, Panic, Referenced Hurting Yourself, but not like with a knife or anything, oh well :), tell me if I need to tag anything, they're brothers your honor, why do i do this to tommy, you can tear awesamdad from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:28:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28905630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsCutterKirby/pseuds/ItsCutterKirby
Summary: Tommy has a few night troubles.
Relationships: Sam | Awesamdude & TommyInnit, Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 300





	1. A Bad Dream

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this pre-final disc war

Dream strode to the sad landscape of Logstedshire, a calm smile on his face. He was feeling good about today.

Tommy was breaking. Dream could see it in his ever-dimming irises, the way he flinched when Dream got too close. The exile was a good idea. Soon, he’d be just another pawn like everyone else. But Tommy was a special pawn. One Dream needed to keep alive, which is why he found it irritating when the pawn thought he could escape his fate by staring at some lava.   
It was annoying, but Dream knew it’d all be worth it once he gets what he wants.

Dream fiddled with the handle of _Nightmare_ as he approached the Tnret. He was rather early today. Good. The more Tommy expected him to come, the more easily he could hide things.

Surprisingly, Tommy was still in bed. He was huddled in on himself, shivering, and muttering broken phrases in his sleep. He was very clearly having a bad dream.  
Dream held back from waking him up, curious as to what Tommy was dreaming about. It could be useful.

Tommy held onto his pillow tightly. “Wilbur…” he muttered. He shifted to facing the other direction. “Wilbur… too tight… you’re hurting me…”

Dream tapped his axe thoughtfully. “Interesting,” he whispered. _Very interesting._ Without waiting further, he shook Tommy forcefully. Can’t let him get too comfortable.

Tommy almost falls off the bed, but he catches himself with his hand, turning to Dream with wide eyes. “Dream!” he shouts, startled. He’s quick to stand and straighten himself. He stammers slightly, “Uh, ‘ow do?”  
Dream looks at him nonchalantly. “Just checking in,” he says, “You slept in, you know.”  
“Really?” Tommy sounds surprised. He glances at the light filtering through the ramshackle tent. “Huh. Didn’t know I could do that.”

Dream hums in agreement. “Well, Tommy, I think you know the drill by now.” He gestured at the armor on Tommy’s person.  
Tommy’s demeanor clouds over. “Right,” he says dejectedly. “Uh, I’ll get my stuff.”

Dream smirks under his mask as the teen shuffles through his things. Once he’s done, the two head outside where Dream digs a small hole. Tommy tosses the selected items in with a small thud and watches as Dream explodes them entirely.

“So, Tommy,” Dream starts as if nothing had happened. “What were you going to do today?”  
Tommy fidgets with the hem of his shirt, his eyes not meeting Dream’s mask. “Uh, well, I was going to make a big wood tower,” he answered.  
“Okay, I can help you, if you want me to,” Dream offered.  
A spark of color returned to Tommy’s dull eyes briefly. _He doesn’t want to be alone. It’s working._ “Y-Yeah, sure, Big D. You can help.”

Dream grabbed Tommy’s wrist. He wasn’t much for touching, but Tommy was more compliant when he did. The kid was very tactile-positive.  
Tommy didn’t whine at first, Dream even felt him relax a bit with the contact. That is, until Dream tightened the grip to an uncomfortable level.

Tommy winced. “Dream, that’s too tight-”  
He was silenced when Dream turned to look at him. Tommy couldn’t see Dream’s face, obviously, but the implications were clear. Tommy stayed quiet.

Dream led him to the nearby woods and let go once they were there. Tommy looked relieved.

The puppeteer handed a diamond axe to Tommy and took out one for himself. Tommy looked at the gift in gratefulness. “Thanks,” he whispered.

Dream just nodded.

The two got to work. Dream thought back to the words that Tommy wouldn’t have wanted him to hear.   
_You have dreams about Wilbur, huh?_ he thought. _I can work with that._


	2. Sleeping Technicality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A different response in a new location

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t-t-t-t-timeskip!

Technoblade carefully crept down the ladder of his basement. He was on the search for his (stolen) golden apples, and he decided the best course of action was to take them back from the child himself. Quietly. In the dead of night.  
“Gremlin child,” he muttered. “Always stealin’ my stuff…”

He reached Tommy’s hole in the ground and started sorting through the chest. He was careful not to make a sound to disturb the sleeping kid. He wasn’t _that_ mean.  
His hand felt the fruit in the dim lighting of the hole. He grinned in triumph. Ready to leave, he faced the ladder. He was stopped, however, by a sound. A small whimper.

Techno turned to look at the human. Tommy was in his bed, on his side, and shaking. He looked cold, but his face was disturbed, not by the chill, but by fear.

The unnaturally small voice reached Techno’s ears.

“Dream…” Tommy mumbled, “I’m sorry… _I’m sorry… don’t take it, please…”_

Techno stopped reaching for the exit. _Tommy’s having a nightmare,_ he realized.

“I wanna go home,” Tommy’s mutters morphed into sobs. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Techno had been ~~worried~~ a bit confused by Tommy’s behavior since he’d crept into Techno’s cabin. Normally, the teen was loud, upfront, and would not hesitate to fistfight the most powerful person on the server. He still had the same energy, but Techno slowly noticed how lost an often distant Tommy looked. He wouldn’t stop apologizing for minor mistakes on his first few days, even if he later covered it up with a flurry of cuss words.

With a sigh, Techno shook Tommy’s shoulders ~~gently.~~ “Tommy,” he said. “Wake up, you’re having a nightmare.”

With a jump, Tommy sat up quickly. “Dream!?” he shouted, without looking at Techno. “I-I’m sorry, I overslept again, I-I’ll get my stuff-”

“Tommy,” Techno interrupted. “It’s Technoblade. You’re in my house.”  
Tommy frantically looked around. His gaze looked relieved when he saw the Blade. “U-Uh,” he stuttered, “Hey, big man, what-what’s goin’ on?”  
“You were having a nightmare,” Techno repeated.  
Tommy still looked startled. “Ah.”

Unfortunately, neither of the two were very open, so they stood in silence for a few awkward moments.

Techno shifts his weight. “Do you… wanna talk about it?”  
Tommy’s quick to answer. “Nope!”

Techno looks at the ladder again. He’s considering leaving, but a look at Tommy’s face tells him all he needs to know. Tommy will not go back to sleep without help.  
Where’s Phil when you need him?

Techno huffs slightly and sits next to Tommy on the bed. Chat will not stop chanting “Technosoft” in the back of his head. It’s annoying.

Tommy looks at his shoes (Why did he wear them to bed?). “You can go upstairs if you want, big man.”  
Techno looks at the teenager. “Nah,” he says. 

Tommy looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn’t. 

Techno remembers something Phil told him once. “If you want, you can, like, hold onto my arm or somethin’. You always liked the touchy-feely stuff, right?”  
Tommy looks up with wide eyes. “Really? You wouldn’t…” he trails off.  
Techno shrugs. “I don’t mind.”  
Tommy looks at the piglin cautiously. “I mean… yeah, I guess.” He glared. “But this doesn’t leave my room, alright?”  
Techno huffs in amusement. “You got it.”  
Tommy hesitantly reaches out to grab Techno’s massive cloak. Seeing no flinching from the Blade, he rests his head near Techno’s shoulder. His grip is firm. It seems as though he hasn’t been allowed to touch anyone in a long time.

Techno spaces out, and when he looks down, Tommy is asleep. He’s buried his face into Techno’s cloak, breathing softly. He looks much better.

Techno carefully moves the kid from his arm and into his bed. Now, he would never say this to anyone, but if the sheets happened to be tucked in, Techno might know how that happened.

When he looks back at Tommy, he’s fast asleep with a light smile on his face. “Tubbo, stop rocking the boat…” he sleep-talks.

He climbs the ladder swiftly. He rolls his eyes at Chat’s numerous callings of “Big bro Techno” and other such pet names.

“Kindly shut up, Chat,” he says as he returns to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what do you mean i'm still sad about the festival :))))  
> oh well, this was basically just a big oneshot i split in half  
> thanks <3


	3. A Creeping Suspicion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally talk about their feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE, YOU THOUGHT THIS FIC WAS OVER?  
> basically i got another idea bc i'm weak for awesamdad  
> also tw for suicide attempt mention

Sam thought the day was going well. Tommy had been helping him all day, gathering some dye, and was now spending the night at Sam’s place. Sam said it was so they could be up early to continue work in the morning, which Tommy had groaned at, but that wasn’t the only reason. Sam, in truth, wanted to make sure Tommy was sleeping and eating alright. The kid was looking much better than he had during Sam’s brief visit to Logstedshire, but Sam knew that no one healed overnight.

_“It didn’t take him any time at all to break.”  
Sam looked up from some paperwork at the security monitor. Clicking the microphone, he asked, “What?”  
Dream stared right into the camera. “You know who I’m talking about.”  
Sam breathed slowly. _In and out. _“What did you do to him?” He kept his voice level._ Don’t show weakness. _  
Dream’s hands were in his pockets - how can he look so calm? “I blew up his things, I isolated him, made him rely on me. He let himself get hurt, almost got too close to lava a few times, which I couldn’t have let happen, obviously. He’s better alive.”  
Sam wanted to throw the prisoner into the lava right then and there - talking about a teenager being driven to self-harmful tendencies like it was a game! - but he couldn’t. Because Tommy needed him alive.  
Sam found it harder to keep his voice level. “Keep in mind you’re only alive because Tommy wants Wilbur back.” The ‘I would kill you if he let me’ remains unspoken.  
Sam can practically feel Dream smirk. “Okay.”  
Sam turns off the microphone._

Sam was staying up late, tinkering with one of his side projects. He checked his custom clock. 12:48. He’d check on Tommy, then go to sleep.

The creeper hybrid peered into the guest room. Tommy was asleep, but he didn’t look peaceful. Some of his blankets had been thrown off, revealing his shaky figure (He’d always looked thinner since exile). Sam’s expression turned to that of concern as Tommy began to sleep talk. He vaguely recalled Tubbo mentioning something about that a while ago.

“I’m so alone,” Tommy wined. “Dream… Dream come back…” Sam stepped forward, aiming to wake up the uncomfortable child. “Maybe if I… go in the lava… he’ll come back…” Sam’s chest tightened.

Removing his mask, he shook Tommy’s shoulders. “Tommy, Tommy wake up…”  
Tommy stirred, not quickly though, as you’d normally expect from a nightmare. “Mmh… Sam?”  
Sam knelt down to Tommy’s eye level. “Yeah, kiddo, it’s me. Are you okay?”  
Tommy rubbed his eyes. He didn’t look scared, just sad. That worried Sam. “Uh, that’s a weird question for me.” He looked at the clock above the door. “Uh, are we waking up now or did I have another nightmare?”

_Another_ nightmare. Sam suspected he had them, but seeing Tommy say it almost casually was upsetting. “You had a nightmare, yeah.”  
Worry lined Tommy’s expression. “Uh, did I say anything?”  
Sam nodded. “It was most likely your exile. You mentioned… _him…_ and-” Sam cut himself off. He wanted desperately to ask Tommy about the lava, the way it had been phrased…

It couldn’t be anything Sam wanted anyone, let alone a child, to think about.

Tommy tilted his head slightly. “What, what did I say?”  
Sam shakes his head. “Nothing I didn’t know already.” He doesn’t deserve to think about that right now.

Tommy hums as if he’s not convinced, but doesn’t press Sam. “Alright, well, sorry for waking you.”  
The creeper hybrid waves his hand dismissively. “I was already awake.” Sam keeps his voice as even as he can, “Tommy, do you want to talk about it?”  
Tommy opens his mouth, then closes it. “I, uh… Yeah. Yeah, I-I would.”  
Sam sits on the edge of Tommy’s bed, adjusting his centaur-like legs to rest comfortably on the twin-size. “Go ahead, Tommy. Only if you feel comfortable telling me.”

Tommy takes a deep breath. “I- Yeah, thanks, Sam.” Tommy brings his knees to his chest. “Just… ever since this whole thing started, I’ve been having nightmares. I mean, I get it, it sucked, but I hate how everyone else has to see them. I want to handle it myself, y’know?” Tommy held up a hand before Sam could interject. “I know that’s dumb, but I still feel like that.” He sighs. “Anyway, exile is the most common nowadays. I was just… so done with everything. Barely anyone visited, no one cared, it was only Dream… Well, now I know he was pushing everyone away from me on purpose, but it still hurts.”

Sam opens his arms. Tommy crawls into them as he continues.

“A-And, I kept letting myself get hurt, because it felt like it wouldn’t matter at that point, like I was already hurting on the inside, so why not let the outside match? And I kept staring at the lava, and I-” Tommy cuts himself off, his breathing uneven.

Sam knew what was coming next. “Only tell me if you want to, Tommy.”

Tommy shook his head. “N-No, I want to. I… I thought about offing myself.”

Sam can hardly stomach the thought of this _teenager_ contemplating…. ending it. He holds Tommy closer. “Tommy…”

Tommy sniffs. “I was almost gonna do it, too. That last day. Dream blew up the entire place after I hid stuff from him. I built a big tower. But then I realized Dream wasn’t my friend, so I jumped into the water.”

Sam combs his fingers through Tommy’s hair gently. “I’m proud of you, Tommy. _I’m so proud of you.”_ His voice is definitely shaking now. He has to be strong, _he has to be strong for Tommy._

Tommy clings onto Sam’s arms. “Thanks, Sammy.” His voice is quiet.

The two sit like that for a few more minutes, holding onto each other for fear they might break, until Tommy reluctantly lets go.

“You should get some more rest, Tommy.”

Tommy nods, sliding back into bed. Sam sits up, and Tommy’s face pales. “Don’t- Uh, that is… Can you…”  
Sam looks back at him. “I’ll stay with you, Tommy. I’m just getting a book.”  
Tommy doesn't hide his relief very well. “I- you gonna read to me?”  
Sam smiles. “It always helped me when I had trouble sleeping.”  
Tommy scoffs. “M’not five…”  
Sam sits at the foot of the bed once more. “Think of it as an in-person podcast.”

Tommy just grumbles. Sam begins to read. Tommy interjects with commentary on occasion, but eventually he looks genuinely tired. Sam glances up after two chapters to see the kid fast asleep. Sam smiles. Tommy deserves this. He deserves a good night’s rest.

Sam gets up and checks the clock. 1:20. Perfect time to sleep.

Sam tucks Tommy in, readjusting the fallen blankets, and kisses the teen’s forehead. “Goodnight, bubs,” he whispers.

Tommy hasn’t had very good parental figures, he realizes. Sam is going to change that.

It’s the least he can do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok that's actually it bye

**Author's Note:**

> don't worry the next one will be more hurt/comfort <3  
> anyway dream continues to be fun to write


End file.
